Discover 2024's biggest consumer trends. Our Connecting the dots report is out now.
To mark the start of Mobile World Congress, this week’s first chart draws on data from our new GWI Device report (download a free summary here) to look at smartphone ownership levels.
Our latest wave of research marks the first time that smartphones have come close to overtaking PCs/laptops, with 87% of online adults now having one. Considering the relatively short period of time for which smartphones have been available, that they are now virtually equal with PCs/laptops underlines just how quickly the mobile internet has transformed online behaviors.
However, this is a trend which remains subject to regional variation. In APAC, Middle East/Africa and LatAm, digital consumers are already more likely to own a smartphone than a PC/laptop. It’s only in Europe and North America where smartphones continue to lag behind but, even here, it’s a case of when, rather than if, the mobile-first internet landscape will arrive.
